ALIFFF 2018

Sunday, 28 October 2007

Vitaphone short 2138 starts with silent location shots and then kicks in with some synchronised sound at the Paradise Night Club, which is being raided by the cops. The sound starts proper when the entire revue is held for trial and gets to perform in the courtroom. I don't know who the singer is but she does a pretty good job while the dancers dance in their seas in the front row. They get their turn in the spotlight too as does everyone else in the show and of course the judge is into every last moment of it.

The wisecracking lawyer for the defense is played by William Demarest, who at this time was also shooting The Jazz Singer on the next door soundstage. I'd always felt that The Jazz Singer was far more influential than it was great in and of itself, but given that these synchronised sound shorts were showing at the same time, I'm more and more surprised it was as influential as it was.